The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-29
BOUGHT BY THE BUSHEL
1t Is Now Claimed Clerical Error Was
Made in that Strawberry Voucher.
The Explanations That Are offered for the
rregularity-What Farmer Pierson and
His Sons Say About the Transaction.

The voucher for strawberries furnished the
Insane Hospital d ring the past season by John
Pierson, of Wayne township, represents the
supply to have been s2S54 gall" for which the
trustees of the institution drew SIG. Sc. This
would be at the rate of So ~ per gallon Mr.
Persons oath to its correctness is acknowledged
by J. S. Hall, notary public. and following ap-
pears Mr.. Persons receipt of payment in full.
The Endorsements are J. S. Halls certificate aud
the statement signed by Thos. II. Harrison,
president of the board. that it had
been audited and an order issued for
payment July Z, 1887. from funds appropriated
for maintenance The figures in the vouchers
stating that the purchase was 1885, gallons of
strawberries at g. r. calling for $776 Sc, are as
plain as ink can make them. The voucher shows
either enormous extravaganza, or. if it is not
rect, loose system of accounting, which is
almost as reprehensible paying 81 ~ per gal
Ion Ter berries that could be bought at the first
of the season. when they were rare for 25 cents
per quart. and in the midst of it low as 5
cents At no time the market were they
higher than dollar gallon, and then only for
few days did that price rule. When the foreign
growth exhausted, and the home berries
came in, they could be bought for 121 cents
quart, 50 cents a gallon, then for 81 cents
quart or "a cents a gallon, and finally low
as twenty cents gallon. Mr. Gapen OF the
Insane Hospital board. said Mr.. Pierson got the
contract to supply the institution this season
because his bid was the lowest He could not
give the exact price per gallon the board was to
pay him. He thought it was thirty two cents
and it might have been a cent less, but no high
err However the voucher would lead one TO
assume that the board paid Mr. Pierson s.. Y
per gallon. The friends of Dr. Harrison, Mr..
Gapen and Mr. Burrell since this presumabe
waste of money has been discovered, claim that
in place of gallons, bushels should be substitut-
ed. But that will not obliterate the fact that
the voucher says 1851 gallons Of Strawberries at
81 y, all of which sworn to by Mr.. Pierson,
certified to by Mr. Hall, the storekeeper, and
Endorsed 10 K. by DR.. Harrison.
The voucher is OF a character significant of
wastefulness and suggestive of Irregularities
and in revealing it's history before it came into
the Auditor of States Office, the statement
of Mr.. Pierson and that of one of his sons is OF
some service. Before the gentleman in whose
name the voucher itself was drawn ques-
toned by Journal reporter. yesterday. the son
told what he knew about the matter The inter
view occurred at the house of his father,
Ben Davis postofice. Mr.. Pierson at the
time visiting friend three miles away. Your
father believe, furnished Strawberries for the
ms ane Hospital" the son was asked.
Eyes. We got the contract and as long as
they lasted delivered quality of them"
What quantityp
II do not remember exactly, but l think it
was something like 265 gallons. L can tell in
moment by little calculation" After he had
done this he again stated that it was 2S5 gallons.
Now" he continued, Il will not be certain
after all, but could tell exactly if I could get
at fathers books"
chow much money did your father receive
his last payments"
There but one. The amount do not
remember but can tell you by little more
figuring" He again reached the result, 2S5 gall
Ions. and was about to calculate the price, when
an elder brother suggested that be wrong,
that it could not be 295 gallons 1t was bushels,
it was suggested, he ought to have The young
mathematician, after going over his figures
again, stated the quantity as 285 bushels. He
said that his father got "a cents a gallon or
81 ~ q bushel for the berries. He was ready to
show the books if they could be had, but as they
not to be reached during his
fathers absence, he proposed to drive with
the reporter to the neighbours, whore Mr. Pierson
visiting. This was done. and in answer to
the first inquiries as to the amount Of berries he
furnished the hospital he could not tell off
hand what the quantity was, nor could he recall
the price he received for them. He believed the
contract price 80 cents per gallon. but after
wards said on es1 ahsr The reflection sas
amount, however, he could not give without
reference to his books. When told that the
voucher for his payment for the berries deliy-
cred showed 2S5a gallons. he replied, after
moments thought, that he furnished more ber-
rles than that
THE voucher also stated that the hospital
indebted to you for those 1854 gallons Of
berries in the sum of s77656
'Now, recollect that the amount of
money received and it should be 1854 bushels
instead of gallons 1t is strange how that error
could occur. l got 81 cents per gallon for the
berries and So. II per gallon is an extraordinary
price. The voucher was signed by me in the
presence of Mr.. Wilhelm He requested me to
sign it, as Mr.. Hail. the storekeeper was not
there. 1 did not pay any attention to the
of money was get to see if il agreed with my
own account / had disputes with them about
other amounts and this made me more watchfol
of the sum of money expressed than the guam
tity stated. did not the voucher after
signed it. MIR. Wilhelm filed it in"
WAS it filed in before or after you signed itl"
pa%0 fr1 uiv,1y,l C,< "a
to the voucher and Mr.. Wilhelm took it. left
tho hospital directly afterwards and on the way
home met Mr.. Hall returning to the institution.
He told me to back with him and sign my
voucher. replied that had already done so.
This was satisfactory to him nni got more
than was coming to me; and if there is mistake
On the statement of his son Mr. Pierson has
eight acres set in strawberries. IAN acre ought
to yield fifty bushels" he said. 'but this year
we got but twenty five bushels to the acre" Mr..
Pierson afterwards stated that his supply to the
hospital this season did not amount to as much
as last years supply when he had the contract
n. 40 cents per gallon. II then sold the board
292 bushels" he continued. II tried
to bring the amount this year mp to that quau-
tity. but could not get more than 2S53 bushels.
At the hospital they rejected fifty bushels of
berries which were said to be defective They
were good berries and do not why they re-
fused them. had more in my beds. neither
better worse. l did not take them to the
hospital because the fifty bushels of berries like
them had been rejected"
Mr.. Persons statement that he signed the
voucher in the absence of Mr. Hall suggests a
queer proceeding in regard to the notarial
acknowledgement of his signature. This acknowl-
edgement the face of the voucher represents rs
having been done in regular form by J. S. Hall,
notary public But Mr. Hall was not there at
the time. lis presumed that he either gave
the paper his notarial signature after Mr. Pier
son had left the hospital some other person
signed Mr.. Halls name notary. The latter
supposition is warranted by the difference in
the form of letters in j. s. Hail. notary public,
and J. S. Hail. book and storekeeper, signed TO
the certifcaton of correctness. The history Of
the voucher is fair sample OF the loose meth
DDS of business at the hospital.
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